I fill my plate with one waffle like a reasonable human and continue to scoot down the line behind him. He’s added four pieces of toast and a handful of grape jelly packets to the third plate, and he’s still eyeing the food ahead of us.

“Are you feeding a family of bears?”

One side of his mouth pulls up. “Just one very hungry dude.”

We reach the end of the line and he slows like he’s waiting for me. He eyes my tray. “Barely four hundred calories on that plate. How are you going to make it to lunch?”

“Somehow I think I’ll manage.”

We start walking, both in the same direction.

“Are you following me?” I ask when we’ve walked shoulder to shoulder for three steps.

“No. I think you’re following me.” We reach the table where Adam and Rhett are seated with a group of guys.

“Yo, Heath!” one of the guys calls to him.

It takes a couple of seconds for my brain to catch up.

“You’re a hockey player?” I frown while I try to place him. I’ve only met a few of Adam’s teammates, but I’ve been to several games, so I’m surprised I don’t recognize him.

His brows pull together studying me, maybe trying to place me as well. “Not a fan of hockey? I think you’re at the wrong table then.”

Adam stands and puts a protective arm around my shoulders. “She’s not a fan of any men at the moment.”

Kill me now.

I stare down at my white tennis shoes as Adam introduces me. “Guys, this is my baby sister, Ginny. It’s her first day.”

The group offers their hellos and grunts of acknowledgment. They’ve all got several plates of food in front of them like Heath and are shoveling it in like they haven’t eaten in days.

I take a seat and so does Heath, across from me.

“Did you come to the games last year?” he asks as he pours syrup over his waffles.

“Yeah, a couple. Why?”

“I don’t recall seeing you.”

This makes me laugh. In a crowd of cheering fans, how could he possibly remember? “I don’t recall seeing you either.”

He leans across the table with a cocky smirk. “I was the one doing all the scoring.”

2

GINNY

I eat my breakfast, staying mostly quiet while the guys talk back and forth. They complain about the workout this morning and talk up the season. I’ve gotten good over the years at tuning out hockey talk.

I catch Heath staring at me an uncomfortable number of times. Uncomfortable because I only know he’s staring at me because I’m staring at him too.

Oh, and he eats every one of the giant waffles, plus the rest of his food.

“Where’s your first class?” Adam asks me as we’re finishing up.